Metallic machine components may be subject to deterioration resulting from use. Turbomachine components, for instance, deteriorate due to mechanical forces, as well as wear due to friction, erosion and corrosion from use in the fluid medium. In particular, turbomachine blades and vanes experience erosion wear on their leading and trailing edges during operation. This progressive deterioration of the blades and vanes reduces the efficiency of the turbomachine. Eventually, the thickness, or other dimensions such as chord width, of the vane or blade are reduced below the minimum allowable serviceable limits, resulting in mandatory disposal or repair of the worn out blade or vane.
In the past, it has often been necessary to completely replace the entirety of the worn turbine blades or vanes. However, for cost reasons, a method of repairing only the worn out portion of the blade or vane instead of completely replacing the entire worn out blade or vane is desirable. Heretofore, worn out blades or vanes have been repaired by machining down the worn out portion, such as the tip, to remove the worn out portion, and then re-applying the missing material, for example, by means of microplasma deposit welding. This process involves manual trenching, welding and re-contouring. Again, such a process is time taking, involves high costs, is manpower intensive and may not be accurate.